Design Data 23
Low Pressure Air Testing of Sewers
Acceptance tests are included in sewer contract
documents to assure the necessary combination
of good workmanship and materials is obtained
during construction of the project. This Design
Data describes the application and limitations of
low pressure air testing of installed concrete pipe
sewers and provides information and guidelines
for proper application of the test and interpretation
of results.
No correlation has been found between air loss
and water leakage from sewers. Although such
relationships exist for an orifice of known dimen-
sions, in concrete sewers, the orifices are gener-
ally of capillary tube size, or smaller, and surface
tension may stop the flow of water while dry air may
pass through the openings. Experience has dem-
onstrated this and has shown a sewer line pass-
ing the air test should pass the water infiltration or
exfiltration test specified in ASTM C969, Practice
for Infiltration and Exfiltration Acceptance Testing
of Installed Precast Concrete Pipe Sewer Lines. It
should also be noted that there is no relationship
between the criteria and results of low-pressure air
testing of sewer lines and that of low-pressure air
testing of individual joints.
General
Precast concrete pipe is plant tested prior to
acceptance and delivery to the job site. Since plant
leakage testing is a check on the pipes perfor-
mance, field leakages test demonstrates the qual-
ity of construction procedures and integrity of the
installation. The leakage tests applicable to pipe
installations are the water infiltration, water exfiltra-
tion and low-pressure air tests of the sewer line,
and individual joints.
In the infiltration test the amount of water leak-
age into the sewer line is measured. This test is
generally applicable only when the groundwater
level is a minimum of two feet above the crown of
the pipe for the entire length of the test section. In
American Concrete Pipe Association • www.concrete-pipe.org • info@concrete-pipe.org
© 2011 American Concrete Pipe Association, all rights reserved.
some areas, the trench may be flooded to simulate
groundwater conditions for the infiltration test. In
the exfiltration test, the sewer line is filled with wa-
ter and the amount of water loss is measured. The
exfiltration test can be used if the groundwater lev-
el is less than two feet above the crown of the pipe
at the highest elevation of the sewer. Procedures
and test criteria for water infiltration and exfiltration
tests of concrete pipe sewer lines are prescribed in
ASTM C969.
In the low-pressure air test, the sewer line to be
tested is plugged at both ends, air is introduced at
low pressure into the plugged line and the amount
of air loss during a specified time period is mea-
sured. Test procedures and criteria are prescribed
in ASTM Standard C924, Testing Concrete Pipe
Sewer Lines by Low Pressure Air Test Method.
This Design Data discusses the development and
use of low-pressure air test.
Air Test Development
The low-pressure air test was developed to de-
tect damaged pipe or improper jointing and is a test
to determine the rate at which air, under pressure,
escapes from an isolated section of sewer. Initially
water testing, the air rest is now a common method
of testing installed sewer lines for acceptance by
demonstrating the integrity of the pipe and joints
and a quality of construction methods.
Due to the physical differences between air and
water, and the difference in behavior of gases and
fluids under pressure conditions, there is no direct
correlation between air loss and water infiltration
and exfiltration. In most cases the air test is a “go”
or “no go” situation, and, if the sewer passes the
test, it should perform satisfactory under an infiltra-
tion or exfiltration test. In the event of failure to pass
the air test, the sewer line should be subjected to a
water infiltration or exfiltration test as prescribed by
ASTM C696 before rehabilitation or reconstruction
is considered.
1
DD 23 (08/11)
 Method
ASTM C924 specifies the test method, criteria
and procedures, and limits the size of the pipe that
can be tested to 4-inch through 24-inch diameters.
The lower limit of 4-inch diameter is the smallest
concrete pipe currently produced in some areas of
North America. The upper limit of 24-inch diameter
was primarily for safety reasons, and the fact that
larger diameters can be more readily tested by vi-
VL
TT = (2)
QL
The volume of air loss is a function of the vol-
ume of the test section which, in turn, is a function
of the test section length and pipe diameter. By
substituting these relationships into Equation [2]
the required test time (on page 8) can be stated as:

[ DQL
sual inspection or testing individual joints. The cri-
TT = 0.00037
2 [ (3)
teria, pressures, holding times and procedures are
L
not applicable to air testing of individual joints.

The Time Pressure Drop Method (on page 8)
where:
is the most commonly used air test method. The D = Inside diameter of main sewer line in test
section of sewer to be tested is isolated, and the section, inches
internal air pressure is raised to a specific level. If L = Length of main sewer line in test section,
the drop in pressure is one pound per square inch, feet
or less, within a specified time interval, the line is
acceptable. From Equation [3], required air test times can
For safety reasons, and to prevent damage to be calculated for any combination of length and di-
joint integrity, under no circumstances should the ameter of pipe. ASTM C924 includes a table of the
sewer line and laterals be subjected to more than allowable air loss rates for concrete pipe diameters
six pounds per square inch. from 4 to 24 inches. Table 1 establishes the allow-
able air loss rate as a constant rate for each pipe
Criteria diameter, regardless of the length of the test sec-
Allowable air loss rates were established for tion. This concept, and the loss rate values, were
different diameters of concrete pipe to identify sig- based on experience and results obtained from
nificant losses. Field experience with testing sewer many field air tests. To calculate the required test
lines, combined with other test observations, in- time, use Equation [3] and the allowable air loss
dicate that any defect of significance will result in rate from Table 1 for the pipe diameter.
losses which exceed the allowable air loss rates.
Table 1 Allowable Air Loss Rates
To pass the air test, the sewer being tested must
not lose a total volume of air greater than the prod- Pipe QL cubic Pipe QL cubic
uct of the allowable rate of air loss and the test Diameter, feet per Diameter, feet per
Inches minute Inches minute
time, which is expressed as:
4 2 15 4
6 2 18 5
VL = QL + TT (1) 8 2 21 5.5
10 2.5 24 6
where: 12 3
VL   = total volume of air loss, cubic feet
QL   = allowable rate of air loss, cubic feet per To simplify the calculation process, the total re-
minute quired test time for a specific pipe diameter can
TT  = required test time, minute converted to a test time per unit length of pipe.
ASTM C924 includes a table of test times per 100
The required test time is a function of the total feet of sewer line for pipe diameters from 4 through
volume of air loss divided by the allowable rate of 24 inches. Table 2 was developed using Equation
air loss which can be expressed by rearranging [3] and the allowable air loss rates in Table 1. This
terms: is represented by Equation [4].

American Concrete Pipe Association • www.concrete-pipe.org • info@concrete-pipe.org 2

© 2011 American Concrete Pipe Association, all rights reserved. DD 23 (08/11)
 d2 l
(
TT = L T
( (4)
Le =
D2
(5)
100
where:
where:
Le   = Total value of all laterals connected to the
T = Required test time, minutes per 100 feet of
main sewer line expressed as an equiv-
pipe
alent length of the mail sewer line, feet
Table 2 Minimum Test Times d = inside diameter of lateral, inches
l = Total length of each diameter lateral, feet
Pipe T Pipe T

Diameter, Minutes per Diameter, Minutes per
Inches 100 Feet Inches 100 Feet
To obtain the required total test time for a mul-
tiple diameter system, add the equivalent length
4 0.3 15 2.1
of laterals to the main sewer line length, divide by
6 0.7 18 2.4
8 1.2 21 3.0 100, and then multiply by the appropriate test time
10 1.5 24 3.6 value from Table 2 for the main sewer pipe diam-
12 1.8 eter, as follows:

( L100+ L T
To test a sewer system involving multiple diam-
TT =
(
e
(6)
eter pipe, the volume of each size of pipe must be
converted to an equivalent length of main sewer
line, which length is then added to the test length From Table 3 for Figure 1, the required hold-
of the main sewer line. Equivalent length is deter- ing times may be directly selected for the specified
mined by: length and diameter of multiple and single diame-
Table 3 Time Holding Chart: Minimum Required Test Time in Minutes and Seconds for Pressure Drop from 3.5
to 2.5 psi
Length Pipe Diameter in Inches
in Feet 4 6 8 10 12 15 18 21 24
50 0-09 0-20 0-36 0-44 0-53 1-02 1-12 1-29 1-47
75 0-13 0-30 0-53 1-07 1-20 1-34 1-48 2-14 2-40
100 0-18 0-40 1-11 1-29 1-47 2-05 2-24 2-58 3-33
125 0-22 0-50 1-29 1-51 2-13 2-36 3-00 3-43 4-26
150 0-27 1-00 1-47 2-13 2-40 3-07 3-36 4-27 5-20
175 0-31 1-10 2-04 2-36 3-06 3-39 4-12 5-12 6-13
200 0-36 1-20 2-22 2-58 3-33 4-10 4-48 5-56 7-06
225 0-40 1-30 2-40 3-20 4-00 4-41 5-24 6-41 8-00
250 0-44 1-40 2-58 3-42 4-26 5-12 6-00 7-25 8-53
275 0-49 1-50 3-15 4-04 4-53 5-43 6-36 8-10 9-46
300 0-53 2-00 3-33 4-26 5-20 6-15 7-12 8-54 10-39
325 0-58 2-10 3-51 4-49 5-46 6-46 7-48 9-39 11-33
350 1-02 2-20 4-09 5-11 6-13 7-17 8-23 10-23 12-26
375 1-07 2-30 4-26 5-33 6-40 7-48 8-39 11-08 13-19
400 1-11 2-40 4-44 5-55 7-06 8-20 9-35 11-52 14-12
425 1-15 2-50 5-02 6-18 7-33 8-51 10-11 12-37 15-06
450 1-20 3-00 5-20 6-40 8-00 9-22 10-47 13-21 15-59
475 1-24 3-10 5-37 7-02 8-26 9-53 11-23 14-06 16-52
500 1-29 3-20 5-55 7-24 8-53 10-24 11-59 14-50 17-46
525 1-33 3-30 6-13 7-46 9-19 10-56 12-35 15-35 18-39
550 1-38 3-40 6-31 8-08 9-46 11-27 13-11 16-19 19-32
575 1-42 3-50 6-48 8-31 10-13 11-58 13-47 17-04 20-25
600 1-47 4-00 7-06 8-53 10-39 12-29 14-23 17-48 21-19

American Concrete Pipe Association • www.concrete-pipe.org • info@concrete-pipe.org 3

© 2011 American Concrete Pipe Association, all rights reserved. DD 23 (08/11)
 ter pipe systems. The required holding times in Ta-
ble 3 and Figure 1 were calculated using Equation
[3] and the minimum test times, T, given in Table
2. To use Table 3, simply select the required hold-
ing time for the specified diameter and the length
or equivalent length of the sewer system. To use
Figure 1, project a horizontal line from the length
or equivalent length to the pipe diameter line, and
then vertically to the horizontal scale to obtain the
value for the required holding time.
Procedure
Before conducting any leakage test, deter-
mine the groundwater conditions surrounding the
sewer to be tested and select the type of test to
be conducted. The requirements and limitations for
each test are summarized in Table 4. The first step
in each such procedures is to stop all dewatering
operations and allow the groundwater to return to
it’s normal level.
If groundwater pressure is equal to or great-
er than the test pressure and the installed sewer is
not leaking, the sewer line is acceptable and no
additional testing is required. If one or more joints
are leaking, but the total amount of leakage in the
sewer line being tested is equal to or less than the
allowable leakage rate established in accordance
Figure 1 Low Pressure Air Testing by the Time Pressure Drops Method
600
4”-DIA
with ASTM C969, the line is acceptable and no ad-
ditional testing is required.
If the groundwater level is two feet, or more,
above the crown of the pipe at the upstream end,
or if the test pressure required is greater than six
pounds per square inch gage, the air test should
not be used, since damage to unrestrained later-
als is possible. If the groundwater level is two feet
or more, above the crown of the pipe, for the en-
tire length of the test section, the infiltration test,
or visual inspection, should be used depending on
the size of the pipe. If the groundwater level is less
than two feet above the crown of the pipe at up-
stream end of the test section, the low-pressure air
test, exfiltration test, and individual joint tests and
visual inspection are all appropriate depending on
the size of the pipe. If the air test is appropriate and
selected, the proper procedures are presented in
the following paragraphs.
Line Preparation
Where practical, the section of sewer line
to be tested should be flushed and cleaned prior to
conducting the low-pressure air test. This serves to
clean out any debris and produce more consistent
test results, since air may escape through the walls
of dry concrete pipe.

IA

IA
6”-D

IA

IA IA
IA
8”-D

-D
”-D

-D
”-D

” ” IA
500 15 18 ”-D
12
10

A
21 -DI
24”

400
Length, Feet

300

200

100

0
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22
Time, Minutes
American Concrete Pipe Association • www.concrete-pipe.org • info@concrete-pipe.org 4
© 2011 American Concrete Pipe Association, all rights reserved. DD 23 (08/11)
 Table 4 Applicable Leakage Tests for Sewer Lines
Pipe Groundwater Condition
Infiltration
Groundwater pressure is
greater than test pressure
Groundwater is either:
All • Two feet or greater above
the crown of the sewer
lines at inlet
• Two feet above the sewer
line’s crown along its
entire length.
4” to 24” Groundwater is two feet or
less above the highest point of
the crown of the sewer line.
Greater All groundwater conditions
Than 24”
Isolate the section of sewer line to be test-
ed by inflatable plugs or other suitable means. The
ends of all branches, laterals, tees, wyes and stubs
to be included in the test should be plugged. Se-
curely anchor and brace all plugs to prevent blow-
out due to the internal air pressure.
Safety
The materials, equipment and operation
of the air test may be hazardous, and this Design
Data does not purport to address all of the safety
problems associated with its use. It is the responsi-
bility of the user to consult and establish appropri-
ate safety and health practices and to determine
the applicability of regulatory limitation prior to use.
No one should be allowed in the trench or
manhole during pressurization, testing, or depres-
surization. Pressurizing a 24-inch diameter pipe to
4.0 pounds per square inch gage results in a to-
tal force of over 1800 pounds on the 24-inch plug.
Such force could cause the violent expulsion of an
improperly installed plug, and the energy of the
plug released air could injure persons within the
manhole or manhole opening.
Air Supply
Connect the air compressor to the inlet tap.
The air supply system should include the neces-
sary valves and gages to control the rate at which
American Concrete Pipe Association • www.concrete-pipe.org • info@concrete-pipe.org
© 2011 American Concrete Pipe Association, all rights reserved.
Applicable Tests Comments
Exfiltration Air Visual
Inspection
X If there is no visual leakage, or leakage at
one or more joints that is less than allow-
able, the sewer line is acceptable without
any additional testing,
X X Do not air test. Air testing may result in
damage to the unrestrained laterals.
X X X X All test are appropriate.
Note: Air test pressure is restricted to a
maximum of 6 psi.
X Do not air test. Testing should be limited to
visual inspection of the sewer line or testing
of individual joints.
air flows into the test section and to enable moni-
toring the air pressure within the test section. The
system should be equipped with a six pound per
square inch pressure relief valve to reduce hazards
and avoid possible damage to the sewer and unre-
strained laterals. The system should have a bleed-
er valve to depressurize the sewer at the comple-
tion of the air test.
To provide realistic test results, the air com-
pressor should be capable of pressurizing the test
section in the required test time, or less. The mini-
mum compressor capacity required is equal to the
rate necessary to fill the sewer line to the desired
pressure plus the allowable air loss rate:
[
C = 0.17L D [ 2
+ QL (7)
TT 12
where:
C = Compressor capacity, cubic feet per minute
Test Pressure
If the test section is below groundwater lev-
el, determine the height of the groundwater above
the crown of the pipe at each end of the test sec-
tion. Compute the average groundwater height and
increase the gage test pressure by 0.43 pounds
per square inch for each foot of groundwater above
the pipe crown. Under no circumstances should
5
DD 23 (08/11)
the test pressure be allowed to exceed six pounds
per square inch. Test pressures above six pounds
per square inch are unsafe and may damage unre-
strained laterals.
Initial Pressurization
Slowly add air to the test section until the
pressure inside the pipe is raised to 4.0 pounds
per square inch gage. Regulate the air supply so
that pressure is maintained between 3.5 and 4.0
pounds per square inch gage for a period of time
to allow the air and pipe wall temperatures to sta-
bilize. The pressure will drop slightly until equilib-
rium is reached, which normally takes about five
minutes. If the air and pipe wall temperatures are
greatly different, equilibrium may take longer to
reach.
During initial pressurization, the plugs
should be checked to determine if there is any air
leakage from the plugs. This can be accomplished
by listening at the top of the open manhole for the
sound of air leakage.
Testing
Disconnect the air supply, decrease the
pressure to about 3.5 pounds per square inch
gage, and begin timing the test. Experience has
shown that the low pressure air test usually is a
“go” or “no go” test and borderline cases are rarely
encountered. If the gage holds steady, or has a low
steady drop, the sewer line will usually pass the
test. A sewer line with significant leaks will be indi-
cated by an immediate or rapid drop in gage pres-
sure.
Acceptance
If the pressure holds between 3.5 to 2.5
pounds per square inch gage for the required test
time, the line is acceptable.
If the air pressure drops more than one
pound per square inch in less than the test time,
stop the test. Either conduct the air test again to
check equipment, plugs, procedures and results,
or use other methods to test the sewer line for
leakage. If the sewer line still fails, the following
courses of action should be considered:
• Segmentally test the line and compare the
time-air loss values in each segment.
• If the values in each segment are compa-
American Concrete Pipe Association • www.concrete-pipe.org • info@concrete-pipe.org
© 2011 American Concrete Pipe Association, all rights reserved.
rable, air losses are probably distributed
throughout the line, and further analyses and
tests should be made.
• If the values in each segment are significant-
ly different, each segment should be evalu-
ated and further tests made to determine the
location of the air losses.
Again, it is important to emphasize that the low-
pressure air test is an acceptable test which de-
tects pipe damaged during installation or improper
jointing and is not intended to be an indicator of
possible water leakage under service conditions.
Use or failure of this air test should not preclude
acceptable by water test or other methods.
Disconnection
Upon completion of the test, the bleeder
valve is opened to reduce the pressure to atmo-
spheric. it is imperative that all pressure in the pipe
be eliminated completely before any plug is loosed
for removal.
Examples
The following examples have been pre-
pared to demonstrate the techniques applied to
determine minimum test times.
Example 1
Given: A sewer system consists of 342 feet of
24-inch diameter concrete pipe between
manholes A and B, and 135 feet of 18-inch
diameter pipe between manholes B and
C.
Find: The minimum test times required to
demonstrate the integrity of the installed
lines.
Solution: For the main sewer between manholes A
and B, use Equation [4], and from Table
2, T=3.6 minutes per 100 feet for 24-inch
pipe:
[100L T
TT =
[
T = [ 342 3.6
[
T 100
TT = 12.3 minutes
For the main sewer between manholes
B and C, use Equation [4], and Table 2,
T=2.4 minutes per 100 feet for 18-inch
pipe:
6
DD 23 (08/11)
 [
TT = 135 2.4
[ Find: The test time required to demonstrate the
integrity of the installed lines.
100
Solution: Use Equation [5] to convert the total
TT = 3.2 minutes
volume of 6-inch laterals to an equivalent
To calculate the required compressor length of main sewer:
capacity for the main sewer between
Le = d2l
manholes A and B, use Equation [7] and D2
from Table 1, QL=6 cubic feet per minute
Le = (6) x 900
2
for 24-inch diameter pipe: (24)2

[
[ 2 Le = 56 feet
D
C = 0.17L + QL For the total system, use Equation [6] from
TT 12

[
C = 0.17(342) 24 + 6
[ 2 Table 2, T=3.6 minutes per 100 feet for
24-inch pipe:
12.3 12

[ L100
C = 24.9 cubic feet per minute [
+L
TT = T e
For the main sewer between manholes B

T = [342 + 56 3.6
and C, from Table 1, QL=5 cubic feet per [
minute for 18-inch diameter pipe: T 100

[
[ 2 TT = 14.3 minutes

C = 0.17(135) 18 + 5 To calculate the compressor capacity for
3.2 12
C = 21.1 cubic feet per minute the equivalent system, use Equation [7]
and from Table 1, QL=6 cubic feet per
minute for 24-inch diameter pipe:

[
Example 2
Given: The 342 feet of 24-inch diameter concrete C = 0.17L D [
+ QL
2

TT 12

[
pipe between manholes A and B in [ 2
Example 1 has several 6-inch laterals with C = 0.17(342 +56) 24 + 6
a total length of 900 feet connected to the 14.3 12
main. C = 24.9 cubic feet per minute

Figure A-1
ATMOSPHERIC CONDITION

V3.5 at atmospheric pressure V2.5 at atmospheric pressure

PRESSURE CONDITION

VT at 3.5 psig VT at 2.5 psig

American Concrete Pipe Association • www.concrete-pipe.org • info@concrete-pipe.org 7

© 2011 American Concrete Pipe Association, all rights reserved. DD 23 (08/11)
APPENDIX - Time Pressure Drop method
VL = V3.5 - V2.5
The time pressure Drop Method is derived 18.2VT - 17.2VT
from Boyle’s Law, which states that the product of =
14.7
absolute pressure intensity and specific volume of VT
any given mass of air is constant for any compres- =
14.7
sion or expansion at constant temperature. Ex-
πD2L
pressed in equation form: x 1
substituting
VT =
4 144
P1V1 = P2V2 [A.1] where:
p = 3.1416
where: D  = diameter, inches
P1 = pressure at point 1, pounds per square L  = length of test section, feet
inch or foot
V1 = volume at point 1, cubic inches or feet therefore:
P2 = pressure at point 2, pounds per square VL = 0.00037 D2L [A.2]
inch or foot
V2 = volume at point 2, cubic inches or feet The time in which the volume of air is lost is equal
to the volume of air loss divided by the rate of air loss.
To determine the volume of air loss within a pipe test
section for a pressure drop from 3.5 pounds per square VL
TT =
inch gage (18.2 psia) to 2.5 pounds per square inch QL
gage (17.2 psia), it is necessary to evaluate the pressure-
volume relationship at both of these pressure conditions. 0.00037D2L
= [A.3]
Referring to Figure A-1 and applying Boyle’s law: QL

where:
14.7V3.5 = 18.2VT & 14.7V2.5 = 17.2VT TT  = test time, minutes
QL  = rate of air loss, cubic feet per minute
where:
14.7 = atmospheric pressure at sea level,
pounds per square inch
V3.5  = volume of air at atmospheric pressure
required to be compressed into the
volume of the test section to develop a
gage pressure of 3.5 psig, cubic feet
18.2  = absolute pressure corresponding to 3.5
psi gage pressure within the test section,
pounds per square inch
VT  = volume of pipe test section, cubic feet
V2.5  = volume of air at atmospheric pressure
required to be compressed into the
volume of the test section to develop a
gage pressure of 2.5 psig, cubic feet
17.2   = absolute pressure corresponding to 2.5
psi gage pressure within the test section,
pounds per square inch

The volume of air loss (VL) for the pressure
drop from 3.5 to 2.5 pounds per square inch gage is
expressed as:

American Concrete Pipe Association • www.concrete-pipe.org • info@concrete-pipe.org 8

© 2011 American Concrete Pipe Association, all rights reserved. DD 23 (08/11)
Technical data herein is considered reliable, but no guarantee is made or liability assumed.